So there I was at Williams-Sonoma, looking at copper serving trays marked with warnings not to actually use them for serving while my girlfriend shopped for magic sponges and $15/lb candy. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a fat man in a bright chartreuse shirt barged in between us to look at something on a shelf – not very politely, I might add. I immediately noticed that 1) the back of his shirt read “!WARNING! I SHOT THE LAST TAILGATER!” and 2) he was open carrying a Glock 19/23 in a Safariland duty holster. I took a photo, but he was moving, so the image didn’t capture his shirt and his gun at the same time.
I followed him over to the customer service island where he asked an employee for another employee that he had spoken to previously, describing her in oddly specific detail (as this was happening, I was moving behind a very impressive kitchen knife display to a point about three yards behind him, and not once did he notice that I was following him so closely). When informed that she wasn’t there and that any employee could assist him, he said in an agitated tone, “oh, I know. I have a message for her.”
As he said this rather mysterious phrase, his hand dropped to his Glock with his thumb ready to disengage the holster’s retention, right as I took a photo.
If he said anything else, I didn’t notice, because I was focused on his right thumb. But then his hand came off the gun, and I stopped thinking, “I’ll need to aim at his lower back so there’s less chance of hitting any of the Williams-Sonoma employees on the other side of the counter.” I did not draw or move to draw my pistol.
Thankfully, his bizarre behavior ended as soon as it started. He poured himself a cup of water from the complimentary Williams Sonoma water pitcher – sadly, they didn’t have any complimentary Williams-Sonoma candy out that day – and walked out of the store, having a conversation on what I hope was a wired headset, otherwise he was just talking to himself.
Was there a perfectly innocent meaning to all of this? Maybe. But he didn’t know the employee’s name, so it’s not like he was her adorably awkward uncle and just wanted to show her his new gun while he was at work. The other employees were left talking about how that guy was crazy, but they knew there were sane gun owners out there. Frankly, I was impressed with how nonchalant they were – but I don’t think they saw him put his hand on the pistol. They weren’t interested in calling mall security, but I later contacted local law enforcement.
This is why we can’t have nice things. This is why CCW reciprocity is a hard sell. This is why gun people get a bad reputation. And some people shouldn’t own guns.
Freedom is scary.
Welcome to America. We get the bad with the good.
Du-u-ude…way harsh. He was probably exorcising his 2A thing or maybe he just needs to have his meds tweaked or get a hug. Me? I don’t open carry and if I did it wouldn’t be in a chartreuse Tee shirt. It’d draw away attention from my gun metal gray eyes and curled lip…my two best features in staring down a retail sales prole.
How about the guy i just saw in avondale open carrying a 1911 with basketball shorts and a ridiculous extended magazine. Gun almost fell out while he was looking at flowers and he had to fumble with it. Looked like he had a $10 holster. Looking back i kinda regret not calling the police but what could they have done other than tell him it’s a bad idea.
I’m sure somehow this is Trump’s fault, and a sign of impending death camps.
At least, that’s how MSDNC will present it.
Geez, get it right, will you? Everything is BUSH’S fault!
I know, I know…open carry is legal in any number of places. There is, however, a certain appearance of threat involved, either deliberate or unintended. It may be meant as PR for our Second Amendment rights…but is it always good PR?
No there isn’t. Sorry no one would think I am a threat if I open carried. For some open carry is a better option. If you are disabled Consealed Carry can be problematic.
William Sanoma robes their customers with every purchase. Maybe he saw a price tag on something? But yeah… I would never open carry. Not in a million years. No one should know my business.
I’ve never gotten a robe there!
(Also, as a chef you get a 20% discount there.
They’re competitive on lots of prices* even without that…
* I couldn’t significantly beat them on a Vitamix or on All-Clad last I checked.)
Andrew we have all seen things like that. And it makes me ill. Yes there are people who should not own guns and it is unfortunate that we are all off of condemned because of their stupidity. Unfortunately in this life we shall never make the stupid or the evil go away. There’s a mix of good and bad as you know and we learn to survive it.
Or, you know, we could create laws to make acting crazy and brandishing a firearm illegal.
Odds that he was off-duty LEO?
Nah, I would guess not. I’ve never heard of a department allowing open carry in plain clothes (not that I can speak for all departments, I’ve just never heard of it). Officers by and large are aware of the disadvantages of open carry in plain clothes. I have also never heard an LEO firearm program being ok with open carry.
Not to mention, the shirt.
Yep.
God I hope not.
That just reminded me of a sheriff I encountered in a Kinko’s years ago in Indiana. He was carrying two revolvers, at the 1 o’clock and 11 o’clock positions, and was fondling them nonstop. The old, mythical “wild west” trope, indeed.
In Virginia handling your gun like that, even holstered, would be considered brandishing. Open carry is legal here, but I very rarely do it, and even then only on the farm or range.
Muah. Rahwts.
The constant chatter about the different products is hilarious. I don’t believe for a minute pretty much everything said in this piece. No self respecting gun owner would waste their time in a Williams of Sonoma when there are many far better establishments that aren’t full of hipsters, metros and yuppies.
Geez, the author said he was with his girlfriend. Some guys like to do things with their girlfriends, if it makes them happy. That’s worked for me, for almost 38 years.
Almost?…………..
You’re missing out. Their Himalayan Salt Plate Cookbook has some great recipes.
If this motherfucker doesn’t end up on the news at some point, I’ll be surprised.
Since open carry started last year in Texas, I’ve seen practically none of it here. Seeing a flamboyant asshole like this guy would be setting off alarms in my head from the start. If I saw him reach for his gun like that, I’d most assuredly have an adrenaline dump. My next thoughts would be cover/concealment, and if he actually did start to draw, if drawing on him is advisable.
Creepy shit. Hair-raising. Maybe he was just touching his binky. Maybe it was one of those unconscious security motions. But hands on heaters is a no-no lest you want someone else to skin their smokewagon and extirpate your ass.
Wow, Andrew, you ran across a resident of the left hand of the bell curve.
Wonder what the odds are this was CJ Grisham. Was this Texas? Kinda looks like him from behind but hard to tell. Same hair and build. He’s a known open carry nutter and stolen valor guy. If you remember what he looks like, google for images and compare.
Michael Yon has written some good stuff of Grisham. That and open carry texas in general.
The type of idiocy displayed only serves as easy fodder for the anti-gun people to use.
Reminds me of a dude I saw here in GA once with an open carried Taurus and an “I’m your huckleberry” and skull T-shirt. That stretched over his gut a solid 1.5′ past his belt buckle.
That guy is a problem, putting his hand on his gun was insane, he is lucky you did not shoot him. Nice caution on your part but he was bought and paid for.
So many crazies making everyone else look bad. I’m glad you didn’t have to shoot him.
Friggin Idiot….WTH…..
Just Cause You Can…. Doesn’t Mean You Should….
While I agree with you, the problem is who gets to decide who can and cannot have power/weapons/dangerous things.
What he did is no different than someone intentionally cutting you off on the freeway. Is that good? No, but who decides what he’s allowed to have and do. You, me?
Even If this clown had a legitimate self defense scenario in which he shot someone, his stupid shirt would have probably got him convicted of murder. He is the polar opposite of the grey man.
Vurwap, please come back to YT. Selfish, I know, but your channel was one of the best.
I am a combat-vet, CCW holder (Nevada)… I have yet to see an open-carry individual that did not act like an abject asshole. I was involved in a similar incident in a Trader Joe’s. The open-carry guy was in the checkout line behind a senior writing a check. The guy remarks, “Hurry up with the f**king check!” with his thumb resting on his holstered G17. I was appendix-concealing a FNX-45 Tactical (can be done, rly) and was looking for sight lines in the case psycho went off his rocker.
We live just off a popular hiking trail and this idiot was open-carry on the trail. A couple of neighbor kids were shooting airsoft at targets on their property and the guy was yelling at them, from the trail, with his M&P drawn, but pointed at the ground. I grabbed my SCAR and was watching from my deck. I didn’t want to call attention to myself so my father in law yelled down to the guy that the sheriff had been called.
Get a CCW or leave it at home.
Crazy times.